Karnataka: Belagavi Math Head Seer Arrested On Charges Of Raping 17-Year-Old Girl

A seer from Karnataka's Belagavi was arrested on the charges of rape of a minor girl. Hathayogi Lokeshwar Swami, a 30-year-old head of Ram Mandir Math in Mekali village, Raibag taluk, repeatedly raped a 17-year-old.

The arrest occurred on Thursday following a complaint lodged by the minor, who detailed the harrowing ordeal that began on 13 May.

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According to police, the victim was taken to the Math by her family, who were advised by relatives that the swami could cure her illness and address her troubles through spiritual means.

In her statement, the girl disclosed that on 13 May, while returning from a relative's home, the accused offered her a lift but instead abducted her.

She alleged that over the following two days, from 13 to 15 May, Lokeshwar Swami raped her multiple times in lodges in Raichur and Bagalkot.

After the assaults, he reportedly left her at Mahalingpur bus stand, threatening to kill her if she spoke about the incident to anyone, a senior officer disclosed.

The crime came to light days later when the distressed girl confided in her father, who encouraged her to report the matter to the authorities.

Following her complaint, a case was registered under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, leading to the swami's arrest on Thursday, police confirmed. Further details will be disclosed after the initial investigation.

In a similar case previously, the chief pontiff of Murugha Math, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, faced charges of sexually abusing minor girls at his Math in the state. He was later released on bail.

(With PTI inputs)